TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US should negotiate with China to reduce cross-strait tensions without abandoning Taiwan, Marvin Park, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Indo-Pacific Security Initiative, and David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in a Foreign Affairs article published last week.

They said Washington should demand that Beijing withdraw all non-civilian ships — including coast guard and surveillance vessels — from Taiwan’s waters, curtail military exercises around Taiwan, and decrease military buildup “in areas within range of Taiwan.” The US could reciprocate by pulling back its own military buildup in the region, contributing to stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Park and Sacks added that the US could ask China to withdraw long-range and mobile ballistic missiles from within striking range of Taiwan and set limits on how close People’s Liberation Army ships and aircraft can operate near Taiwan. In exchange, the US could redeploy its own long-range missiles, such as the Typhon missile in the Philippines, farther from China.

They suggested establishing a buffer zone around Taiwan, which “would reduce the risk of incidents that could escalate into a major conflict.” It would also make it easier for the US and China to “send and read strategic signals and differentiate between routine exercises and military escalation,” they wrote.

The scholars said the two countries should also discuss how to maintain neutrality regarding Taiwan’s legal status. They warned that China’s misinterpretation of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 lays “the legal foundation for attacking Taiwan.”

Park and Sacks said the US should take the initiative to “set the agenda” on Taiwan and maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait. Doing so would underscore Washington’s support for regional peace, and Beijing’s response would clarify its intentions.